Packless valve bonnet



Aug, 4, 1936. J. W. RUHSTORFER PACI/(LESS VALVE BONNET 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled Nov. 3, 1933 INVEILBOR. Jah-LW Ruhanrfer MMM/M ATTORNEYS.

Aug- 4, 1936- J. W. RUHsToRl-ER PACKLESS VALVE BONNET Filed Nov. 5, 19552 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 TES UNITED unsre QFFQE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to valves and the primary object of theinvention is to provide a packless valve bonnet which will dispense withthe usualV method of sealing a valve stem by means of a packing box andgland, thereby eliminating leakage and expense in packing and laborcosts during life of the valve. y

A further object of the invention is to provide n a. packless valvebonnet wherein a perfect seal will be had at all times when the valve isbeing operated and also when the valve is in either an open or a closedposition.

A further object is to provide a packless valve bonnet for use witheither gate or globe valves of either the risingy or ynon-rising stemtype.

A still further object resides in the provision of improved operatingmeans for valve elements which may be readily applied to existing typesof valve bodies.

A still further object of the invention is to provide operating meansfor valve elements wherein a piston forms a part of the valve stem andserves to preventleakage during operation of the valve and provides asealed joint at the open and closed positions of the stem.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course oi' the following detailed description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification andin which drawings:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section thru l a valve provided withthe improved bonnet and showing the valve closed.

Figure 2 Ais a section similar to Figure 1 but showing the valve open. Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail section thru the valve stem above thepiston.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view showing a modified form of pistonfor use with valves of the rising stem type.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the invention applied to a valve ofthe non-rising stem type and showing the valve closed. y

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the valve open. Inthe drawings and wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts thruout the several views, in Figures 1 and 2 theinvention has been shown applied to a Valve of the rising stem type,while in Figures and 6 the invention provides a valve of the non-risingstem type. While the invention has been shown applied to a gate valve itwill be readily apparent that the invention may equally well be appliedto globe valves or various other forms of valves having an axiallymovable valve stem.

Referring rst to the form of invention shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, thevalve body A is of ordinary construction and provided with the usualseat 5 to be engaged by the gate or valve'element 6 upon lowering of thelatter upon the seat. The neck 'I of the valve body is provided with^theusual internal guides 8 for guiding the gate 6.' The gate or valveelement 6 is provided with the usual coupling extension or boss 9towhich the operating stem is swivelly connected.

Secured to the open end of the neck 1 kis a valve bonnet I embodying adome portion II which is flanged as at I2 for connection with the flangeI3 of the valve body A as by the' coupling bolts I4. Preferably castintegral with the dome portion I I to extend co-aXial with the valvebody neck 'l is a tubular guide portion or vcylinder I of a lengthslightly greater than the travel of the valve element 6 from its fullopen to fully closed positions. The lower or inner end of the cylinderI5 projects slightly into the dome portion I I to provide a ring seatI6, while the outer end of the cylinder is formed with a ring seat Il.

Reciprocally guided with a snug sliding t in the cylinder I5 is a pistonI8 provided midway of its ends with piston rings IS having a sealing twith the inner surface of the cylinder. These piston or sealing rings I9are conned for movement between the ends of the cylinder and provide aperfect seal at all times during operation of the valve.

Secured to the bonnet I0 as by suitable bolts 20 is a yoke 2| providedinits head portion `22 with an opening 23 for rotatably receiving aninternally threaded bushing 24 arranged co-axial with the piston I 8.Keyed or otherwise fixedly secured to the bushingZ is a hand wheel 25.

Secured to the outer end of the piston I8 is an outer disc holder andguide 26 which is recessed at its inner side toreceive a sealing ring'2l preferably formed of copper or some such soft metal. This sealingring 21 is adapted to engage upon the outer ring seat Il when the valveelement 6 is in a closed position. A retaining washer 28 serves toretain the ring 2l in position.

The holder and guide 26 is provided with dia-v metrically disposedbifurcated ears 29 adapted to have sliding movement upon guides 30provided along the inner or confronting sides of the arms of the yoke 2Iwhereby the holder and guide is held against rotation. The holder orguide 2t is rigidly securedto the outer end of the piston Arranged atthe inner end of the piston I8 is a. preferably copper sealing ring 35held in position by the disc 35 which is secured to th'epis-y ton by thecap bolts 31. A retainer washer ,38

is arranged inwardly of the sealing ring 35 and this washer and the disc3I'vare axially aperture'd-'r' to receive a reduced end of a shortcouplingY stem 40 secured in place by the nut 4I accoIn-A modatedrinl arecess34' Ainfthe inner endet-fthe The: coupling1 pin. 4l]l is Iconnected by" piston I8. meansp av retainer nut'42r to the coup1ing^.extension-.orifboss'fS oftheyalve element 6 wherebythe:fvalvefelement-iswconnected for movementtbyf Y thecpiston:v I8-.'.It may here vbe well to -note `that thesealing ringsy 21: and 35projectbeyond the;

circumference f ot the' piston I8- "to respectivelyY v engagefuponthering seats I1' and I6.

In operationHof-the'risingstem'formof valveff shownfinrF'igures-:l andy2, when-the `handwheel- 25 is rotatednin -af direction for `feeding thethreaded'fvalve stem-V 32- inwardly thru' the bushing 24-,Vthel piston-I8-is` moved inwardly in'the A cylinder'IS thusclosing thevalve'velement 6 upon` itsl seat-5 andf closing the' valve. At the time'-thevalve element "6 closes; the-fsealingzring- 21. engagesfupon theouter ring seat I1 onv .the4 cylin der? I5? thus formingfa perfect'sea-1 at' the .outen MMT-end fof the (cylinder.A In this position,y asvshown ira-Figure ,1,.thefpiston rings I9 have 'not -movedf beyond. theinner end-of' the'-cy1inder.,. WhenA the valveis fullyA openedg-.thesealingv ring 35-'attheain-nerendof the'pistonfl8 engages upon the=4&.Fring VseatnIIi withinvthevalve chamber and-thus formsaperfect seal.at-the inner end vof the. cylinder..` Thusleakagelpastthe valveoperating. means. is` prevented in eithen position ofthe. valvebythe.sealinglrings21 and 35,.and bymeansfofv f=.the..piston..rings-..l9during. operationof Ythe valve fromn either position..-

Rferringnowfto. the form ofthe invention as Y applied to a non-risingstem valve as shownin Figures .5 and 6,/1ike reference characters havef-2been applied; to similar parts as shown inV Fig...

ures l and. 2." In AFigures 5 and .6, the piston 45VA is. provided withan axially disposed `screw threaded bore 46 which opens .at the.outerend of the .piston .and terminates. short of thev inner 601e end'.of the piston.. The valve stem 41 rotatably extends thru the dischol-der and guide 26" and the retainer washer 28l and has a screwthread# ed"inner"'end portion 48 for threaded engagement inthe bore46The outer end of the stem E"L41" is"shc' 'ulderedv and journaled inV asuitabley bushingv 49 in the' head 22` of the yoke 2li FixedAhand/"wheel25l for rotating the stemto cause inward-andoutward Yfeedingof the piston 452V "-"lTl"iepiston'is of course held against rotation bytlievholder andguide 26 engaging the sides 3U.'

Irreach'fornr' of' fthe invention it' will be noted# that the sealingrings project inwardly for a shortl distance over the ends ofthe pistonand" uwthisprevents any possbleflealage past the point Where the valvestems project thru the holders and washers at the outer ends of thepistons. This is particularly true withrespect to the outer end of thepiston as shown in Figures 5 and 6 where the valve stem 41 rotatablyextends thru 5 the members 26 and 28.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of piston and stern sealing means for useupon a. rising stern valve such as shown in Figures l and 2. In Figure4,.the piston `5I) is providedraxially. of its 10 outerl end` with athreadedsocket 5I for threaded reception of the inner end of a threadedvalve stem 52. In this form of the invention, the combined holder andguide 26, sealing ring 21 and retainer' washer 28 are held in positionat the l5 outer endv of the-piston by means of the lock nut53""threaded` on the valve stem 52. The piston 5thfisfsprovided"axiallyof its inner end with a threaded socket 54 into which is threaded acoupling stem' 55 having its outer end adapted for 20 suitable.=-connect-ion ftoz! aY valve element. A Y lock nut? 56.-threadedfon thecoupling stem: 55-V servesAL tor-'secure -thersealingnring 35', vholder36- and` re-' ta-inerwashere38 -in. positioni attheinner end ofthe'fpistony- The-:piston V5I) is--provided midway'251 of its.ends-.with a :suitable Enumber of piston rings 58.

Thus.- it 1 will be* seenvthat in eachv 'form' yof the invention; thepiston forms a portion of the valve` stemwand-provides a couplingaelement'betweenff the-valve/operating wheel-and the valve elementservingto prevent leakage'fromthe valve cham-Y ber-'.during.'operationof thevalve;y Whenthe valve element- 6 is in'either of itspositions'goflimited-movement, the sealingv rings.21 or-35 will -355' form `azperfect'- sealupon their respective seats I1I and I6.. Thus an improvedoperating mean-s for-valveelements has been fprovided which-willdispense with the usual packing glandsetc., and.4will..provide...for a perfectsealat alltimeswhen the..valve .isbeing.operated Vand. alsoV when the., valve Velement .isin eitheran open .orclosed .position..

Changes. in detail. may-be 'made to the forms.l of the invention asherein shown and .desoribed.45r without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the-scope of the following claims.

I claim: Y

. 1.'.In `a valve; abonnet including a cylinderH having a ring seatprovided at each .end.thereof, a piston reciprocably movable in thecylinder,a sealing ringsecured to each end face of the piston forengaging upon said seats, valve element coupling means carriedA by theinner end of the piston, ayoke carried by the bonnet and provided withguides, a holderv for the sealing ring at the outer end'of the pistonand having ears slidable on said guides to'prevent rotation of thepiston, a threaded valve stem rigidly secured at one'end' to the outerend of the piston, a bushing 60V journaled against axial movementin theyokeand thru which'the valve vstem is threaded, and means for impartingrotation to the bushing.

2. In a valve, a VVbonnet including a cylinder having a ring seatprovided at each end thereof, 65V a piston reciprocably movable in thecylinder and having an axial screw threaded bore openingat the outer endof the piston,a sealing ring at each' end ofthe piston vfor engagingupon said seats', l means` forfsecuring va valve element to the innerl10V end. of the pistonym'eans for preventing rotation of thepisto'm'anda rotatable'valve 'stem having. aV threaded portion engagingin. said'threaded'r borezforimparting f'longitudinal movement to thepistoxrforv openingfandsclosing thev valve element. .75

3. In a valve, a bonnetl including a cylinder having a ring seatprovided at each end thereof, a piston reciprocably movable in thecylinder and having a threaded ksocket axially of each end thereof, asealing ring at each end of the piston for engaging upon said seats, adisc holder for each of the sealing rings, a valve element coupling stemthreaded into the socket at the inner end of the piston, a retaining nuton the coupling stem for securing the disc holder at the inner end ofthe piston, a valve stem threaded into the 'socket at the outer end ofthe piston, and a retaining nut on the valve stem for the disc holder atthe outer end of the piston.

' JOHN w. RUHSTORFER..

